Stoick Finds Beauty
by Someonecallhere
Summary: Stoick cleans up a lot of Hiccup's messes, but this time Stoick is determined to find Hiccup before it get too out of hand. In the ice fields a far way from Berk, though, Stoick finds something he never imagined.
1. Chapter 1

Inspiration music: "Stoick Finds Beauty" from John Powell's album. My fanfic title goes to that track on the HtTYD2 soundtrack.

"That boy! Never where he's suppose to be!" Stoick said, thumping a fist into the rumblehorn. Skullcrusher flicked an ear at the Viking as he continued flying.

Gobber was next to him, idly playing with his beard. "Aye. Because he's always off on an adventure. And right when you think you can't find him. Well, there he shows up, and it's—."

When Skullcrusher flattened his ears, Stoick raised his hand silencing Gobber.

The two men gave themselves a moment to adjust to the slower flight of their dragons, as they took a look around the empty ocean and sky. The landscape was empty besides for slow-moving glaciers and flurries of snow. By tomorrow, or even in just a few hours, the landscape would be totally different. The cold added to the gray in Stoick's hair that he'd blamed on his wayward son.

Keeping his eyes on his surroundings, Stoick leaned closer to his dragon. "What is it boy?"

The rumblehorn hesitated, obviously unsure.

"There," Gobber said, gesturing with his hook to a movement to the east. A lithe shape between the wind and the clouds.

Stoick watched for just a moment. It was big. Much bigger than many of the Berk dragons. Old battle senses helped him realize that he and Gobber didn't have the backup to successfully win or outrun this dragon. It just took a moment before he said, "Up!" And guided his heavy rumblehorn higher with Gobber right behind.

They burst through the cloud cover, the gray light of the storm below fading into dusk.

Then they waited. Gobber, as always, on his right.

The attack started out as a trick, an intimidation factor. A masked figure rose briefly above the clouds. If any of the Berk riders had tried that trick in front of Stoick he'd have them cleaning something non-breakable and non-flammable for a month.

The mask was meant to intimidate, Stoick thought as he surveyed the enemy rider and reached behind him for his axe. He wasn't one for air battles, but there'd be a first for everything.

Gobber's axe was already in his hand and his hook was ready. Skullcrusher bellowed his warning. And that was the only warning to be given as a huge dragon burst from the cloud cover. The masked figure was balanced on its back in an impressive display of dexterity. Even on the ground this rider might give Stoick some trouble. And the dragon. It was good thing Hiccup wasn't here at this moment, because it was certainly an impressive one.

As the huge dragon settled in front of them with its double wingbeat, the masked figure raised its staff to point at them. Clouds were whipped apart by the wingbeats in the immediate area.

The dragons grumbled their discontent at the brief pause, and Stoick rumbled out, "We're ready when you are."

The staff that pointed at them wavered, then dropped. The masked figure staggered a step back. If that's all it took, this battle could be over quick. The double winged dragon hesitated and dropped beneath the clouds.

"Oi! Come back here ya yellow-bellied…"

Stoick tuned out Gobber's insults with ease and watched the clouds. He was just in time to see the double-winged dragon burst out of the cover a little to their left. Grump and Skullcrusher growled as they swerved to meet it.

But all the dragon and masked rider did was a slow circle, cutting through the clouds with ease.

"Stop ya dancin'. We ain't here for that," Gobber said, waving his hook for emphasis.

The double winged dragon continued circling, getting closer on each pass. The masked rider was watching them. Something was different here, Stoick thought as he shifted his hands on his axe.

As the dragon passed in front of him again the masked rider twisted for a closer look and said with almost a whisper, "Stoick?"

"Dragons above!"

At Gobber's cry, Skullcrusher twisted to miss a dive-bombing dragon, and Stoick brought the dragon around again.

"Wait!" the rider cried at the dragons that suddenly surrounded them. Looking at Gobber and Stoick she muttered, "Impossible."

The masked rider was a woman. Her accent from the Meridian of Misery, possible former shield maiden. He hadn't heard of any dragon riders with her skill from any of the other tribes willing to try riding dragons.

"What are you doing on a dragon?"

"Well, you see it's called flying. And we're actually looking for someone. He's about yea-high," Gobber said, gesturing to his shoulder, never minding they were hundreds of feet in the air and Hiccup had grown in the last few years. "He's insatiably curious, won't stop asking questions, and he's actually looking for a dragon-slaver. Have you seen him?"

But the dragon rider ignored Gobber, just flying a little bit closer, but still out of Skullcrusher's range. She asked again, "Stoick?"

The man in question didn't actually say anything, just glared at her.

"We actually need to be going ma'am," Gobber said. "We don't have time for staring contests or the like. So, if you aren't gonna be doing anything, we'll just be on our way."

The rider didn't look at Gobber, but reached up. Stoick prepared for the attack. He wasn't prepared for what happened next. He never expected to see her face again, except in Valhalla.

Her face had haunted him throughout the years and now it was here, hundreds of feet in the air, surrounded by clouds and huge glaciers too big for most Viking ships below. She was here. With a tremble, nineteen year old memories unburied themselves and her name tumbled from his lips. "Valka."

He was staring. Staring like he hadn't since he was fourteen and she first started talking to him.

But she was staring too.

"Stoick. What? How?" she said. Her dragon was suddenly too far away.

There was silence for a moment, only broken by Gobber chuckling briefly to himself. "Alright. Valka. Right," he said. Shaking his head, Gobber gestured to the hotburple. "Well this is Grump."

And for the first time since she got close enough, Valka tore her eyes away from Stoick and looked at the other Viking.

With her eyes off him, Stoick was able to take a breath and remembered Hiccup. He coughed into his fist and realized it still had his axe in it. Slowly putting the axe away, he coughed into his hand again and said, "And this is Skullcrusher."

Valka's eyes ran over the rumblehorn before reaching down to pat her massive dragon. She nodded slowly and said, "This is Cloudjumper."

They were back to staring again.

"Ah, yes. Well," Gobber started. "Yes, kay, you see, we're looking for a boy. He's about yea-high. He's insatiably curious, won't stop asking questions, and he's actually looking for the dragon-slaver, Drago. And it's, well, Hiccup."

Both parents whipped around to look at the one-handed Viking and he smoothed his mustache briefly. "Oh, boy. Well, it's true. We do need to get going y'know, Hiccup's not waitin' for us."

AN: Hopefully the chapter is all fixed. Thanks for letting me know!


	2. Chapter 2

Stoick looked over his assembled Vikings, his very small group of assembled Vikings, and drew a hand down his face with a sigh. He and Gobber weren't exactly known for their stealth. And there had to be another plan, besides allowing Valka to go scout.

He turned to look at the intimidating cliffs that surrounded the bay. Skullcrusher and the other dragons were hidden nearby, behind a knoll, with a pile of fish to keep them occupied. It had taken some maneuvering to convince the dragons to land. With a small shake of his head, he edged his way forward towards the ridge overlooking the bay.

Dirt stuck to his palms and elbows. On the other side of the ridge, across the wide bay, was a sickening sight. It was a complete armada. And there were so many dragon cages. The brine of the sea couldn't cover the smells of this…camp. And they were flying under Drago's colors.

He took in the sight in silence.

There was a scuffle as Valka started up the ridge, moving like a scuttling dragon, insect thing. Stoick looked away briefly. "My dragons will fight. We should attack!" Valka whispered, edging up next to him.

Stoick said nothing, and Gobber held his peace as his chief surveyed the situation. It would be a hard battle. Drago had watchtowers, defended barracks, and—

Stoick froze.

And dared to look again.

Wanting to crush something, preferably Drago's skull, Stoick nudged Gobber and pointed east. Gobber looked in that direction with a frown. Then he muttered a curse. A scorch mark ruined the walkway below the outpost. It was a very familiar scorch mark. The same mark littered his house, especially Hiccup's floor, until they had gotten the stinkin' dragon his own bed.

Hiccup's trail of destruction was relatively easy to find after more than two decades of being his father.

Until the trail ended suddenly.

"Stoick?" Valka's voice was low. Her eyebrows were drawn together as she watched him. She reached out briefly towards his shoulder before pulling her hand back.

Stoick felt something in his hand and looked down to realize that his nails were biting into his palm.

Gobber cleared his throat and looked at Stoick before focusing on Valka again. "Hiccup rides a night fury."

"A night fury?" Valka said.

"Yes. They're inseparable," Stoick muttered, looking over the compound.

Gobber cleared his throat again and ignored Valka's curious expression. "And usually they…Nah. Rushin' in on that dragon of his is always his plan," he said, looking at the small bit of destruction on the eastern side. Gobber's face was grim. "But he usually has better luck with dragon hunters."

"How did Hiccup even find Drago?" Stoick asked, bringing up the more important question. The questions that would get his son out of the hands of this blood-thirsty man.

Gobber's eyes went wide at the growl in Stoick's voice but still answered. "Despite the Riders' best efforts, they couldn't have gotten every one of Johan's hunters. Cretins like that are always easy to find. And the night fury could have frightened just about anyone into giving up the information once Hiccup put his mind to it."

"Aye." Stoick acknowledged after a moment.

Stoick crunched numbers in his head. Berkians…no. Riders? Only Hiccup's friends would be battle worthy against this many enemies. But Drago…Drago always had something up his sleeve. Plans were just about useless when that man was involved.

"My dragons will fight," Valka said next to him, placing an emphasis on dragons. "We need to attack!"

"No," Stoick said with a quick shake of his head. Stoick started backing down the ridge.

"Just because they're dragons—" Valka said, still hidden on the lip of the ridge after Gobber followed Stoick down.

"Oh no. It's not that," Stoick said, judging the distance and jumping to his feet. Oh, his back. The things he did for Hiccup. A soak in his favorite hot spring would be needed after this. He took a deep breath, smelling the grass and faint smoke from their dragons. "We're gonna need every dragon we can get. But those are dragon hunters and slavers."

"Exactly! They won't stand a chance against a dragon's anger—"

"But if they do get captured, they don't have thumbs to get out of the cages," Stoick said, whistling softly for Skullcrusher. "Plus, a Viking usually is a little less noticeable than a monstrous nightmare."

"Aye. But it all depends on the last time the Viking had a bath," Gobber said, petting Grump as the dragon went to the Viking.

Faint vibrations could be felt through the ground as Skullcrusher shuffled over. His eyes were darting from place to place, and the dragon was breathing heavily. There was a muffled yelp. Stoick turned to see Valka being smothered in a dragon hug by the stormcutter.

Gobber looked up with a blank face. He was thinking. "They're nervous," he said, scratching Grump on the dragon's cheek.

Stoick turned back toward where the bay was hidden by the ridge. "Drago," he said, placing his hands on his hips. The faint prickling of adrenaline and fear started in his chest. "What secret does he have?"

"Secret?" Valka said, rubbing her dragon's wings.

"Aye," Stoick said after a moment. "Dragon slavers wouldn't be able to take out Hiccup. He's destroyed them before. But…"

"It looked like a short fight," Gobber finished. "Neither of them would give up a fight that easy, especially the night fury."

There was a moment of silence as Stoick remembered the Drago he'd met years ago, the burning of that meeting hall and so many chieftains all those years ago.

"I might have something," Valka said with slow deliberation as she looked back towards her ice fields. "But I don't know if I can convince him."

"No," Stoick said, reaching up and swinging himself into the warm leather of Skullcrusher's saddle. "Let's go for overwhelming numbers."

Valka raised an eyebrow at that and picked up her flying mask so she could play with it in her hands.

"Hiccup has been fostering alliances," Stoick said. "It's time to call some of those favors and alliances in. I say let's go get rid of a threat to all dragons and rescue my son."

"Our son," Valka said, swinging up to settle between her dragon's upper wings. "Apparently there's a lot of catching up for me."

Stoick's stomach dropped at that and his fist tightened, but he pulled up a mental map of the Archipelago, the wind currents, and other traveling necessities.

"Well, you did miss most of his life. There's gonna be a lot of catching up to do," Gobber said behind Stoick.

Stoick ignored the two behind him again. He turned Skullcrusher north, north towards the Defenders of the Wing.


End file.
